Kate Messner's Blog, page 41

Florida Wildlife, Part 2: Kayaking with Alligators

On the last day of our Florida trip, my daughter and I did something we've been talking about for a while -- took a guided kayak tour in the Everglades.  My friend Loree Griffin Burns ( lgburns  ) had recommended the guides her family used this winter, and we drove to Everglades City to meet them.





We launched the kayaks in the Turner River and set out paddling.  As a rule, we tried to stay fifteen feet away from the alligators sunning on the banks so we wouldn't disturb them. 



Sometimes, though,...

Time and Space...and a few birds & reptiles

Visiting family in Southwest Florida last week gave me some much-needed quiet time outside.  There are so many special places in this part of the world...so different from the ecosystems here at home, and I love the way Florida nature feels so quiet and so loud all at once.

Want to wander in the swamp with me a little?  Come on...I'll bring the sunscreen & bug spray...


This great blue heron was wading in Myakka River State Park. I loved his reflection.


Turtles sunbathing just off the Big Cypres...

Friday Five

It's been a busy week, so I'm sneaking in under the wire with five quick things on a Friday...

1. SeaMonsters...  I had a phone conference this week with the editor for SEAMONSTER'S FIRST DAY, one of my picture books with Chronicle.  We talked about the illustrator sketches, which are so funny and awesome they make me bounce up and down a little every time I see them. Also, I love that my job involves having serious conversations about what a sea monster's belly ought to look like.

2. Tractors....

Thank you, Saranac Elementary School

Today was one of those amazing, amazing author visit days. I talked with kids about books, was given beautiful artwork, had a fabulously fun lunch with some fourth graders, laughed a lot, and even cried a tiny bit...  I'll tell you why in a minute, but first, a HUGE thank you to the teachers, librarian, and kids of Saranac Elementary.


All these hands are up in response to my question about long car rides & whether anyone has ever asked "Are We There Yet?" (Sometimes writing a book can feel tha...

Thank you, Colchester Middle School!

As an author, you know a school has really gone out of its way to make sure you have a great visit when you pull into the parking lot and find a shiny red music stand marking your spot...





Colchester Middle School rolled out the red carpet, too, when I visited to give presentations for the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.  Every student had read at least one of my books, and they were a terrific audience. 

I always love giving presentations to big groups and answering questions, but sometimes the qui...

Sometimes on a Mountain in April: A Poem in Photos

You can't really see it in this photo, but on top of the wind blowing my hair all over, I am pretty much covered in mud. 



Hiking in the Adirondacks in April is a messy proposition sometimes, but so, so worth it.  There is something about the switching seasons, the in-between-ness, that always brings me down the mountain a little bit changed. My words and photos don't really do it justice, but I decided to try...


Sometimes, on a mountain in April,
winter hides in caves.



...and clings to warm ston...

In Honor of National Poetry Month..."When Do You Write?"

April is National Poetry Month, and that's worth a cheer or two in my world.  I wrote poetry long before I ever finished a novel, and my junior high school journals still live on my bookshelves, full of free verse celebrating (and sometimes cursing) certain junior high school boys.

So to celebrate this month celebrating poems, I decided to share one that I wrote as part of a lecture I gave this winter.  I'm guessing my writer friends may appreciate this one...

When Do You Write?

When people ask ...

A Poem in Honor of National Poetry Month..."When Do You Write?"

April is National Poetry Month, and that's worth a cheer or two in my world.  I wrote poetry long before I ever finished a novel, and my junior high school journals still live on my bookshelves, full of free verse celebrating (and sometimes cursing) certain junior high school boys.

So to celebrate this month celebrating poems, I decided to share one that I wrote as part of a lecture I gave this winter.  I'm guessing my writer friends may appreciate this one...

When Do You Write?

When people ask ...

Three kinds of writer's block (and how to cure them!)

During my recent visit to Highgate Elementary School, a student asked one of those questions that can only come from a fellow writer:

Do you ever get writer's block?  There was something about the way she said "writer's block" that made it sound like something you could catch if you got to close to a sniffly author or brainstormed out in the rain, and I kind of liked that... but anyway...

The short answer to her question is: Yes.  

I suspected she also wanted to know what to DO about writer's bl...

Books I've Loved Lately

I've been deep in the depths of revision for the past few weeks -- polishing up a picture book and a middle grade mystery.  They are both done (*pause for cheering & confetti here*) and on submission now, and I have big plans for a post-revision reading binge. But before I do that, I want to talk about a handful of books I've read lately that you might like, too.  Ready?

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Amy Ignatow's THE POPULARITY PAPERS: RESEARCH FOR THE SOCIAL IMPROVEMENT AND GENERAL BETTERMENT OF LYDIA GOLDBLATT AND JULIE...